On an October day in 2018, I sat anxiously holding my late wife’s hand to comfort and calm her as she waited for a brain scan. Her doctor suspected her triple-negative breast cancer had spread to her brain (it had).
Earlier I had seen a promotion for a breast cancer awareness walk that looked more like an ad for an Oktoberfest party than an event to raise awareness about a truly horrific disease. It was both angering and heartbreaking to see. At the time, I wanted to write and draw something to express my feelings, but caregiving took priority.
More than a year after my wife’s horrible death in 2021 I wrote this story for CURE, a resource for patients with cancer, survivors and their caregivers. I was surprised CURE published the cartoon and my diss of pinkwashing month events. But I was even more surprised at the hundreds of passionate responses, in messages and as comments on CURE’s social media, who agreed with what I was saying.
Here’s the link to the story:
https://www.curetoday.com/view/thoughts-on-breast-cancer-awareness-month-the-disease-is-no-stroll-through-the-park-
